Supporting the active learning of collaborative database browsing techniques

We describe the implications of a study of database browsing behaviour for the development of a system to support more effective browsing. In particular we consider the importance of collaborative working, both in learning browsing skills and in co‐operating on a shared information‐retrieval task. From our study, we believe that an interface to support collaboration should promote the awareness of the activities of others, better visualization of the information data structures being browsed, and effective communication of the browsing process

Characterisation of collaborative decision making processes

This paper deals with the collaborative decision making induced or facilitated by Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and their impact on decisional systems. After presenting the problematic, we analyse the collaborative decision making and define the concepts related to the conditions and forms of collaborative work. Then, we explain the mechanisms of collaborative decision making with the specifications and general conditions of collaboration using the modelling formalism of the GRAI method. Each specification associated to the reorganisation of the decisional system caused by the collaboration is set to the notion of decision-making centre. Finally, we apply this approach to the e-maintenance field, strongly penetrated by the ICTs, where collaborations are usual. We show that the identified specifications allow improving the definition and the management of collaboration in e-maintenance

An Application of Collaborative Web Browsing Based on Ontology Learning from User Activities on the Web

With explosively increasing amount of information on the Web, users have been getting more bored to seek relevant information. Several studies have introduced adaptive approaches to recognizing personal interests. This paper proposes the collaborative Web browsing system that can support users to share knowledge with other users. Especially, we have focused on user interests extracted from their own activities related to bookmarks. A simple URL based bookmark is provided with semantic and structural information by the conceptualization based on ontology. In order to deal with the dynamic usage of bookmarks, ontology learning based on a hierarchical clustering method can be exploited. As a result of our experiments, about 53.1 % of the total time was saved during collaborative browsing for seeking the equivalent set of information, compared with single Web browsing. Finally, we demonstrate implementing an application of collaborative browsing system through sharing bookmark-associated activities

How to juggle work & family: a mixed method study on home-based mom teleworkers

This study investigates how boundary management between childcare and work affects the practice of telework. Such approach is meaningful since the employees’ initial motivation to work away from the office is likely to influence the actual practice of telework, which in the case of Korean women were childcare. We observed home-based women teleworkers who are concurrently taking care of their child, principally focusing on how child caring context affects individual and collaborative working behavior, as well as information device usage. Multi-angled observations, including surveys, in-depth interviews, and data log analysis were conducted, to investigate the practical difficulties women encounter while working at home. Our findings show that at an individual level, child-centric time management influenced the type of tasks possible. At a collaborative perspective, this also intensified asynchronicity. Lastly, mothers were frequently in a physically dynamic state, thereby showing notable use of mobile devices and hands-free input

HCI as a means to prosociality in the economy

HCI research often involves intervening in the economic lives of people, but researchers only rarely give explicit consideration to what actually constitutes prosociality in the economy. Much has been said previously regarding sustainability but this has largely focused on environmental rather than interpersonal relations. This paper provides an analysis of how prosocial HCI has been discussed and continues to be defined as a research field. Based on a corpus of published works, we describe a variety of genres of work relating to prosocial HCI. Key intellectual differences are explored, including the epistemological and ethical positions involved in designing for prosocial outcomes as well as how HCI researchers posit economic decision-making. Finally, emerging issues and opportunities for further debate and collaboration are discussed in turn